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General Motors says that any Impala to wear the SS badge would have to be special. This is the 1966 Chevrolet Impala SS convertible.

Where is the Chevrolet Impala SS?

April 3, 2012

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Chevrolet is offering three engine choices for the 2014 Impala--and none of them is a V8. That begs the question-where is the most famous of Impalas, the Super Sport?

"We could do it," General Motors North America president Mark Reuss said at the New York auto show. "I always like that kind of thing."

GM last offered an Impala SS model for the 2009 model year, which ran an aluminum-block 5.3-liter V8 making 303 hp. If things hold, the 2014 model will be topped by the widely used 3.6-liter V6 also rated at 303 hp that can propel the sedan to 60 mph in 6.8 seconds. Also offered will be a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and a four-cylinder with eAssist, a light-electrification system.

The only SS in the modern Chevy lineup is the fire-breathing Camaro, which comes in coupe and convertible versions. Chevy did upgrade the 2012 Impala with a 3.6-liter V6 rated at 300 hp.

The 2014 Impala is a front-engine, front-wheel-drive, five-passenger sedan, though GM execs were quick to tout its heritage and even rolled out two mid-1960s models for the reveal.

"The best Impala designs had an essence that is easy recognizable," said John Cafaro, Chevrolet director of exterior design.

With pending CAFE regulations that will raise fuel-efficiency requirements, an SS version might not be realistic for the Impala. Reuss said the bar is high for any Chevy that would get that badge. The SS would have to be a "home run," he said.

"We're not going to do it on every product," Reuss said. "It's got to be very special."